A Gallup woman’s hairstylist stole her Discover credit card out of her purse and used it to buy a gift card and some candy.
The victim called the police on Feb. 23, saying that her credit card had been stolen. Gallup Police Officer Elijah Bowman met with the woman who said her credit card had been used at Walmart multiple times.
Discover had reached out to her asking about the purchases on Feb. 20 for a total of $320. The card was also used on Feb. 21, with two purchases totaling almost $600. The last two transactions did not go through, though.
The victim told Bowman that she might know who took her credit card, but she said she didn’t want to tell the police at that time.
On March 2, Bowman met with Anthony Verdugo, who works in the asset protection department, at the Walmart at 1650 West Maloney in Gallup.
Bowman gave Verdugo the stolen credit card number, and he was able to pull up multiple photographs of the suspect using the stolen credit card at the self-checkout lane on Feb. 20.
When the victim saw the photos taken by the Walmart surveillance cameras, she told Bowman the suspect’s name: April Giron. Giron was the victim’s hairstylist.
She told Bowman that Giron drives a White Dodge Durango before he showed her the parking lot surveillance video. The video shows an SUV that matched the victim’s description coming in and out of the parking lot. Giron can be seen getting in and out of the SUV.
Giron came into the Gallup Police Department for questioning on March 3. She told Bowman she knew the victim and that she had last cut her hair three months ago. She said she was at home during the time the stolen credit card was used.
Bowman showed her the surveillance videos of her at Walmart on Feb. 20. Giron changed her story after she saw the video evidence. She admitted to taking the victim’s credit card from her purse while she was cutting her hair.
She said she went to Walmart on Feb. 20 and bought a gift card and some candy. She estimated that she spent $320. She admitted that she went back to Walmart the next night and tried to buy two more things, but the card was rejected.
She decided to throw the credit card in Walmart’s trash. She said she still had the gift card and offered to give it back.
Giron confessed that this was the second time she had stolen a credit card. She had lost her job at Uptown Girl, 1206 E. Aztec, Suite C, because she had been using a stolen credit card.
She apologized to the victim and promised to pay back all the money she had taken.
By: Molly Adamson
Sun Correspondent
